Mashable - [More from Mashable: Gruesome Photos of Dead Gaddafi Circulate On Twitter: Beware of Malware]

Mashable - Be careful the next time you scan a QR code, because it might just cost you money and wreak havoc on your smartphone. That's the warning from Kaspersky Lab, which has noticed the first instance of QR code tampering. The incident took place in Russia last month and hoodwinked consumers who thought they were downloading an Android app called Jimm. The code actually contained malware that sent SMS codes to a premium rate number that charged for each message.

Mashable - Fran Maier is the president and executive chair of TRUSTe, the leading online privacy solutions provider. She speaks widely on issues of online privacy and trust and is active in mentoring women in technology. She serves on a number of Internet and trust-related boards, including the Online Trust Alliance. It’s a great time to be a cloud consumer. Now you can access all of your digital information – when and wherever you want – across a variety of cloud compatible gadgets (iPad, Kindle, etc.). You can store your music collection in iCloud, you can share work and personal documents over Box.net, and you can do your expenses on Expensify -- the list only goes on.

Reuters - First there was the Stuxnet computer virus that wreaked havoc on Iran's nuclear program. Now comes "Duqu," which researchers on Tuesday said appears to be quite similar.

Reuters - An extradition treaty with the United States is not biased against British criminal suspects, a judge-led review said on Tuesday, dealing a blow to campaigners fighting to stop a computer hacker being sent to stand trial in America.

Reuters - An accused member of the clandestine hacking group LulzSec pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of taking part in an extensive computer breach of the Sony Pictures Entertainment film studio.

Reuters - U.S. securities regulators formally asked public companies for the first time to disclose cyber attacks against them, following a rash of high-profile Internet crimes.

Appolicious - Security seems a poignant topic for Android this week, with a fake Netflix app sneaking malware onto devices, and a slew of releases around mobile enterprise security in particular. The rise of malware on the Android platform has spurred a great deal of development in the security sector.

Digital Trends - Taken into custody earlier today, 35-year-old Christopher Chaney of Jacksonville, Florida was arrested for hacking into the email account of Scarlett Johansson and distributing nude photos that the actress had taken of herself. The FBI was called into investigate this crime in September 2011. This arrest was related to an 11-month investigation that the FBI are calling ”Operation Hackerazzi”. Federal authorities also identified fifty more celebrity victims of Chaney, but only identified Christina Aguilera, Mila Kunis, Simone Harouche and Renee Olstead as they agreed to public identification. Six more victims were only identified by their initials which included B.G., B.P., D.F., J.A., L.B. and L.S.

Digital Trends - Android users need to be on watch for new malware masquerading as the Netflix app. The bogus version mirrors the official app very closely in appearance and will steal user’s account information.

AP - The computer virus that hit the Pentagon's drone program last month was not directed at the military systems but was common malware used to steal log-ins and passwords used in online gaming, military officials said Wednesday.

Digital Trends - You may have seen a trail of news stories bubbling up yesterday and over the weekend about a group of hackers who said they discovered the German government was using spyware to keep tabs on its citizens. It turns out that story may be true as some German officials from a number of states have admitted to using the software.

Reuters - Consumers are less anonymous than they think while surfing the Web, according to a study released on Tuesday that triggered new calls for "do not track" rules.

The Atlantic Wire - Twitter founder Biz Stone just did a Twitter no no. He sent out a slew of spam-like Tweets to his followers asking if they'll support Ed Lee for San Francisco mayor, noticed Gizmodo. "Biz Stone, one of Twitter's founders and for a long time the public face of the company, just spewed hundreds of tweets asking people to endorse Ed Lee for mayor on Votizen. And while Twitter is a politically active company, and Ed Lee has a pretty dope mustache, we're pretty sure this was a bot-made accident." While Gizmodo reports "hundreds," we only see about a couple dozen. But the recipients include some big names like Kanye West and Katie Couric. Gizmodo pegged it as a spambot, but it turns out Stone just "clicked the wrong button," according to his Twitter. "Oops, I clicked the wrong button on Votizen. Sorry folks!"

AP - The White House is taking new steps to safeguard classified information and protect government computer networks against unauthorized disclosures such as last year's release of thousands of pages of secret documents by the website WikiLeaks.

Reuters - A proposed update of the U.S. online privacy rule for children sparked debate at a congressional hearing on Wednesday over whether such protections should extend to teenagers.

Reuters - Japan's biggest defense contractor, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, said on Monday hackers had gained access to its computers, with one newspaper saying its submarine, missile and nuclear power plant component factories had been the target.

NewsFactor - The Federal Trade Commission is proposing changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, which is mandated by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. The COPPA Rule governs the information that websites can request from visitors under the age of 13, and the agency is requesting public comments on the proposed changes.

Mashable - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comments on proposed revisions, including protections regarding geolocation data, to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA). COPPA requires operators of all online services or websites for children under 13 (or those who have knowledge that they are collecting personal info from children under 13) to obtain verifiable consent from parents before collecting, using or disclosing children's personal information.